Fabric-uncurling device for sewing-machines



S. W. AVIS.

FABRlC UNCURLING DEVICE FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I2. 19M.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

SAMUEL W. AVIS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE MEBROW MACHINECOMPANY, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

eaders.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

Application filed December 12, 1914. Serial No. 876,916.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL W. Avis, a citizenof the United States, residing at Hartford, county of Hartford, State ofConnecticut, have made certain new and useful Improvements inFabric-Uncurling Devices for Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and to the figures and letters of reference markedthereon.

This invention relates to sewing machines and particularly tooverseaming. machines and has for one of itssalient objects theprovision of a fabric separating uncurling finger which may be easilywithdrawn from action, at will.

This invention is particularly useful in guiding and preparing edges ofknit fabric and other fabric which is liable to curl, be fore theoverseaming operations, and is especially designed and adapted for usein closing the toes of seamless stockings and the like as will behereinafter more fully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of myinvention as applied to and embodied within an overseaming machine ofthe well known Mei-row type, the characteristic features of which aredescribed in United States Patents Nos. 591,- 049, 734,987 and others.Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a portion of the same machine showing aguide and finger associated therewith and two plies of fabric withcurled edges. Fig. 3 is a section of a portion of the frame cap of themachine, and parts attached thereto, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Throughout the several figures of the drawings like characters ofreference indicate like parts.

In the drawings 10 indicates the main frame, 11 the frame cap, 12 thehead, 13 the presser foot, 14 the needle, 15 the needle plate, 16 thework plate and 17 the feed dog.

The slide 30 is preferably supported in a dovetail groove 31 in theframe cap 11 and is provided with a thumb knob 32 and with a flatfriction spring 33 set into the bottom of the dovetail groove andslightly bowed to cause sufficient friction upon the said slide toprevent its being accidentally moved from its adjusted positions. Thethumb knob is for adjusting the position of the slide 30.

The uncurling and separating finger is secured to one end of the slide30 by means of the screw 35 the hole 36 for which is elongated to permitof suitable vertical adjustment of the finger 34 which is tongued at 37to fit into a groove 38 in the rear side of the slide 30. The finger 34is formed with a taper rounded on the upper side and is provided with ashoulder 39 which acts as a. stop against the vertical side of the edgeguide 40. The latter is provided with a thin vertical extension 41 toguide and hold the edges of the fabric very close to the line ofpenetration of the needle.

The edge guide 40 is adjustably secured to the needle plate by means ofthe screws 42 and 43 passing through the plate 44 which acts as a washerfor the screws, the shank of the edge guide 40 being slotted for thescrews.

In use the lower of two pieces of fabric is placed upon the needle plateor cloth plate or both, and the edge of the fabric is flattened orstraightened and introduced under the uncurling and separating finger34, and against the vertical extension 41 of the edge guide, and underthe presser foot while the second or upper edge of the fabric is placedabove and upon the uncurling-separating finger 34, with the edge of thefabric also against the vertical extension 41 of the edge guide, andunder the presser foot, the toe of the latter being in close proximityto assist in uncurling the upper edge of the fabric and in holding itflat while the fabric is being fed and at the same time theuncurlingseparating finger 34, as it extends between. the two edges offabric separates them so that they may more easily be moved laterally bythe operator to insure the registration of the two edges so thattogether they may be properly guided by the vertical ex tension 41 ofthe edge guide so that the needle may penetrate very near both edges ofthe fabric as the operation of overseaming progresses.

It will be understood that so called seamless stockings as they comefrom the knitting machine have an opening half way across the web of thebase of the portion the edge guide shoulder which is to form the toe,and therefore in overseaming the two edges of such opening with theuncurling-separating finger introduced between the said edges, as thefeeding progresses when the end of the opening reaches theuncurling-separating finger the latter would prevent the furtherprogress of the fabric and therefore at this juncture theuncurling-separator is withdrawn from between the two edges of thefabric in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2;

In readjusting the uncurling-separator to its working position it isstopped against 39and is therefore always in practically the samerelation to the edge guide 40 when the machine is in operation.

The uncurling separator is vertically adjustable to suit differentthicknesses of fabric which must pass between it and the needle plate orother support. 7

While I have described my invention as particularly adapted to the toeclosing it will be obvious that it is adapted to various purposes andparticularly to closing edges when a separator is used and whenobstructions in the fabric would require the temporary removal of theseparator.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim 1. In a sewing machine, incombination, an uncurling finger, an edge guide adapted to re ulate theposition of fabric after the uncurling operation, means for permittingadjustment of the uncurling finger vertically, means for permitting itswithdrawal from action and a stop between the uncurling finger and theedge guide whereby the adjustment of one of them limits the range ofmovement for the adjustment of the other.

2. In a sewing machine, in combination, an edge guide, a slide, anuncurling finger secured to the slide, and means for permittingadjustment of the edge guide and uneurling finger in respective planesdisposed at substantially right angles, the edge guide and uncurling,finger having stop surfaces therebetween extending substantially inparallelism to the direction in which the uncurling finger isadjustable.

SAMUEL W. AVIS.

Witnesses V F. W. SPELLMAN, F. E. ANDERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

the edge of the.

